Death of Lucrezia Noin, Birth of Luca Firoin
by Icy Discordia
Summary: 6x9. Back from Mars, Zechs aquires an unwelcome girlfriend. However, he doesn't dismiss her which in turn hurts Noin. Then one night of fun (and alcohol) together changes everything and Noin decides to make a run for it. Pure angst. Last chapter up!
1. Default Chapter

A.N.: Okay minna, this is my first fic and I really despise it but I decided to post it anyways. Looking for action? Look elsewhere. My style is more for novels then fanfictions so not many peeps will have the patience for this. I've divided this into parts to make it easier though. And yes, Zechs is the bad guy in here. Now for what you really want to know: 6x9, romance, angst, slight lime, major OOC.  
  
The Death of Lucrezia Noin, the Birth of  
  
Luca Firoin Pt. 1  
  
10:16 a.m. February 10, 200  
  
Lady Une looked up from her desk as her door flew open and a furious Zechs Marquise burst in. 'So, he found her note. This is not going to be easy to explain.' She sighed and quickly pressed save on her laptop.  
  
He stormed over and put his hands on the edge of the desk, gripping so hard his knuckles turned white. He leaned down so his face was only slightly above hers and gave her a death glare, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.  
  
"Where is she?" He demanded with a growl.  
  
'Play it cool, Une, you must not reveal anything on accident.' She reminded herself. Lady Une looked back calmly in to his ice blue eyes. "Would you care to inform me on exactly what in the world you are talking about? An also why you thought you had the right to just barge in to my office with out an appointment, Preventer Wind?"  
  
"You know what I'm talking about. Where is Noin?" He said slowly, carefully, not letting his anger get the best of him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
- about 45 minutes ago-  
  
Zechs left the cafeteria at headquarters with relief. He had just managed to sneak away from Marina, his self-imposed girlfriend. The girl just wouldn't shut up. Not that he minded people talking so long as they had something somewhat intelligent to say. Well Marina was about as boring and shallow as they came. *She had bleached hair and blue eye contacts if that says anything, but was nice. That and the fact that he just couldn't be bothered to pry her off himself all the time were the only reasons he put up with her.  
  
Zechs walked quickly down the main hall to where it split into the two living quarter hallways and paused. On the left was the branch for single men, such as himself, where he could go to his own room and get a shower before Marina inevitably tracked him down. He groaned inwardly at the unwelcome thought. To his right, however, were the dormitories for single women. 'Maybe I had better visit Noin. She wasn't in the cafeteria for breakfast again, which is, or used to be, unusual, and she's been avoiding me for the last couple days. Actually, she's been acting strange for the last few weeks. I wonder what's wrong with her?' Still puzzling over what could be wrong with his best friend, Zechs turned right, also satisfied with the fact that Marina wouldn't follow him. Marina despised Noin for some reason that eluded him, although the feeling didn't seem to be mutual. Noin looked at her in much the same manner he did, as a necessary annoyance. Marina wouldn't be caught dead asking Noin if she knew where her own boyfriend was and was always smug when she knew where Zechs was when Noin asked. Zechs snorted in disgust. He knew that his relationship with Marina hurt Noin, but wasn't sure exactly what to do about it. She loved him, this he knew, but he really hadn't given much thought to his love life, concerned as he was with the war and then the terra-forming project from which they both had been recently reassigned for their turn at headquarters. When they got here, just under a year ago, Marina had been a new recruit and immediately latched on to Zechs, fancying herself a princess to be swept away by this handsome prince. He had heard her saying this himself to her giggling friends. He hadn't managed to get rid of her since.  
  
Zechs reached Noin's door and slid his I.D. card through the slot that had long ago been programmed to accept his card along with her own. The door slid open with a quiet 'swoosh', revealing a small, dark room. Next to the door was a desk and chair, which was all you could fit along that wall, and in the corner behind that was a small couch and a mini refrigerator with a microwave on top. In the other corner was a bunk bed, the top one never in use. On the other side of the main entrance was yet another door, which led to a personal bathroom and closet.  
  
"Noin?" Zechs inquired softly, thinking she might be still asleep. Getting no response he turned on the desk lamp next to him, noticing as he did that the desk was bare, save a couple chewed up pencils. He frowned when the lamp illuminated an equally empty room. The bed was neatly made and all signs of occupation had been removed from the small dormitory. Zechs quickly strode to the bathroom, opening the door in growing bewilderment, even a little panic. He flipped the light switch and took a moment to adjust his eyes to the bright glare. Nothing. He slammed open the closet only to find all the clothes and shoes and whatever else should have been there gone. All that was in there, hanging proudly, was Noin's Preventer's jacket. All hopes that she had been simply transferred to another room died as he took the identical, although much smaller version of his own jacket off the hanger and draped it across his arm. She would never leave it behind.  
  
He left her bathroom. "Noin?" He called, much louder this time. Upon entering her room and taking another scrutinizing glance around, Zechs noticed an envelope on the bottom bunk, addressed to him in Noin's handwriting. He picked up the letter and sat on the velvet gray couch with building dread at what he would find inside. Zechs slowly tore the top of the envelope, so he wouldn't rip any part of the letter. He took it out and unfolded the paper.  
  
  
  
1.1.1 February 9,200  
  
Zechs,  
  
By the time you read this me and Sally should be long gone. We have been reassigned, not only to a new place, but to new partners as well. Good luck with Wufei, according to Sally you will need it.  
  
I promised you three and a half years ago that I would never leave your side but in my current situation I find that I can not live up to that promise. I can't explain to you why I'm leaving, or why Sally is coming with me, because I' d feel like I was betraying her if I did. Please know that we requested this assignment from Lady Une ourselves and were not influenced in any of our choices. Don't worry about Miss Relena, she will be disappearing from the eyes of the public soon, of her own accord. We will be there to protect her.  
  
Zechs, you have been my best friend for the last seven years, my lover for the first two, and I could not have asked for more. I am sorry but I have to go without saying goodbye. I love you, Zechs, I always have but I have seen you with Marina and I truly hope you can find the happiness you have been looking for in her. You deserve to be happy. I don't think I will be able to contact you again so I suppose this is good-bye. Sally says farewell too. Good luck with Marina and please don't be angry with me for not telling you this sooner. I will always love you, for as long as I live.  
  
2 Love,  
  
2.1 Lucrezia Noin  
  
A.N. Well, that's the first part. Mushy and angsty enough? Oh, yea, can you read the letter? Tell me if you need a translation ^_~. Constructive criticism welcome.  
  
*I mean no offense to any readers with bleached hair and blue contacts. It just seems to fit the stereotype of shallow which is what I was going for. 


	2. pt. 2

The Death of Lucrezia Noin, the Birth of  
  
Luca Firoin Pt. 2  
  
Zechs sat back and stared in shock at the letter. This had to be some kind of joke. Any minute Noin would pop out from behind the door and laugh at him for falling for it. But the sick feeling in his stomach wasn't going away. Not to mention the fact that no one would go to such extremes to pull a prank on him. Now that he thought about it though, he hadn't seen Sally Po since yesterday either.  
  
He folded the letter carefully and put it in his uniform jacket, picking up hers too, glaring at the conflicting thoughts running through his mind. 'So Lady Une knew and I didn't, huh? That means that she probably knows where Noin and Sally went. She'll tell me. Noin must be just exaggerating the importance of this mission. And what did she mean when she said my sister was going to be with them? They had better not put themselves in danger.' He brooded darkly, getting angry that he had been left out of whatever this conspiracy was. Angry, too, that he still didn't know what was going on. 'But she said that she loved me.' He stopped at this thought, pausing in front of the cafeteria. 'She thinks I'm in love with Marina? Great. I knew I should have gotten rid of that leech months ago.' 'And now you've lost Noin, too.' an annoying voice whispered at the back of his head.  
  
"No!" he whispered back sharply aloud. Zechs was about to continue on to the elevator and Lady Une's office when he heard Noin's name through the swinging doors of the cafeteria. He put his back against the door and turned his head so that he could see the speaker but that person couldn't easily see him and he listened.  
  
".Yeah! I heard. Lady Une announced her reassignment at breakfast, but the weird thing is that Sally Po went with her instead of Zechs. Isn't that strange?"  
  
"Why would it be strange? She has no claims on him, and I do so naturally Lady Une didn't want to break us up. Maybe I'll be assigned as his new partner!" Zechs cringed as he recognized his 'girlfriend's' voice.  
  
"Oh, give it up, Marina, everyone knows those two were meant for each other. I don't know why they don't just make it official and get married." There was a murmur of agreement from the other people in on the discussion. Zechs' eyes widened at that statement.  
  
"Do you know, I think Zechs is the only one who doesn't realize they're in love. I'm not sure why he even puts up with you, Marina."  
  
"Shut up! He doesn't put up with me, he loves me! And I certainly don't see what you do between him and that woman!"  
  
"Poor girl is in denial." a new recruit that had been marked as refreshingly sassy mused. "I've only been here a couple months and even I can see it. You shouldn't hide from the truth just because you want to be a 'princess'." She snorted at the idea.  
  
"I heard that they left without a word to anyone except Commander Lady Une, and she won't tell anyone. Another thing is; why didn't Wufei go with them if Sally is his partner? Did they do a switch on us and we just didn't know it?" The sassy girl's partner inquired.  
  
"Of course not, smart one, I 'm still stuck with you aren't I?" She replied sarcastically. The people in the lunchroom laughed and teased the unlucky guy. "Ugh, what is this stuff? It tastes like mud! They call this coffee?! Where's the caffeine? That is."  
  
Zechs stopped listening and continued down the hall, taking the elevator up. 'Well it seems I was the only one not informed that Noin and I are soul mates. How could I not have suspected all this? Lady Une may not tell curious individuals where Noin and Sally are but she will tell me- she had better.' His eyes narrowed in anger, mostly at his own lack of comprehension. 'Or else.'  
  
- 


	3. pt. 3

A.N.: 6x9, angst, non-yaoi, slight lime later  
  
Disclaimer: yea, yea, I forgot it in the last couple chapters. Do you think I own GW? If I did, don't you think I'd be able to write better fictions than this? I don't own it!!  
  
The Death of Lucrezia Noin, the Birth of  
  
Luca Firoin Pt. 3  
  
Lady Une sighed at the question she had been expecting and prepared for. "That data is confidential, Wind, and although I know of your friendship with both Preventers Fire and Water, I cannot give you this information."  
  
"Can not, or will not?" Zechs said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Both," she replied calmly, but still had to look away from his icy stare.  
  
"Explain." He commanded coldly.  
  
She stood up and left her desk to stand by and look out the window that made up one of the walls of her office. Zechs straightened and followed her with his eyes. " I will tell you what I can, which isn't much, although I'm sure you won't be satisfied." She conceded. " I can not tell you where Lucrezia Noin or Sally Po are because my position as head of Preventers restricts me from discussing such matters with those of lower rank that are not associated with the mission. You will understand that if this information were to accidentally leak out, many lives maybe put in danger." She held up her hand and turned around to forestall the coming protest. "However, even if I were at liberty to explain this assignment to you legally, I would still be bound by my word. I'm afraid I was sworn to secrecy by both of them before I had a chance to fully realize what they were planning on doing. I may not approve of or even agree with this mission that they requested but I will not go back on my word and reveal what they obviously don't want you to know."  
  
"Damn it, just tell me where they are Une!" He slammed the desk with enough force to send some of the papers flying.  
  
Bending to retrieve the misplaced documents she glanced up, cool and curious. "Why is it so important to you? I know she's your best friend but friends come and go. Or do you just want find her so you can yell at her like you are doing now?" she ticked the questions off on her fingers. "So you can have fun and make that ditz you call your girlfriend jealous? Why do you want to know so badly?"  
  
" I am not using Noin to make Marina jealous! She's--" Zechs, seeing where this was going, shut his jaw and glared at her again.  
  
Lady Une stated quietly but firmly with an accusing, sad look, "Did you ever tell her?"  
  
"What?" He asked, now even more confused.  
  
"Did you ever tell her that you cared about her? Because I don't think she knew, otherwise she may not have left." Lady Une's narrowed her eyes even more. "You know, Noin's as loyal as they come but I guess five years of waiting for you was too much even for her," She looked away, talking more to herself now. "Unfortunately, I think she's so loyal that she won't even bother looking for some one new where she's going. Maybe Sally will take care of that." The Commander snapped her attention back to the glowering young man in front of her. "Now get out of my office, Zechs, and don't come charging in here again without an appointment unless you want to do extra paperwork." Lady Une dramatically turned her back on the man, her shoulder-length brown hair swaying with the momentum. "You are dismissed Officer Wind." She repeated, emphasizing his lower station.  
  
With another slam to her desk and a growl he complied and stomped angrily out of the commander's office. Anyone who saw him in the halls immediately stepped out of the scowling man's way. Zechs went back to his room, telling the hovering Marina to stay the hell away from him, and locked himself in to brood over the best way to find 'his' Noin. 'Damn it, how was I supposed to foresee this? I'm not a psychic. She left because she thinks I don't care." He made the growling noise in the back of his throat that had become one of his trademarks, banishing that line of thinking, and took out a World Atlas, tossing his long, platinum blonde hair back in annoyance. 'Noin can't hide from me, I know way too much about her. The complication is whether or not it's her that picked where to go. If it's Sally's choice then maybe I should talk with Wufei.'  
  
Deep down he knew it was hopeless. They had grown apart. Noin was resourceful and if she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.  
  
Hopeless.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lady Une winced as the door to her office crashed into the frame with a vibrating shudder. 'Well, that went as well as can be expected. At least the glass in the door didn't break.'  
  
She sighed in relief that that encounter was over and sank back into her chair. Lady Une unconsciously began organizing the papers Whirlwind Marquise had messed up. 'True to his name,' she mused, smirked at this analogy. 'Well that's one down, one to go. In person, that is. I hope Wufei took this better than Zechs did. And then I have to deal with the other four. I'm counting on them not stopping in for a visit, but if they do I may need some protection since I hold no authority over them. Was I the only one that saw this outcome? Those women have been mistreated, I'll admit, but still, that doesn't mean they all have to leave. Funny, a couple of years ago this situation would have seemed silly in light of the wars. I don't think those young men even thought about women then. I guess old habits die hard for them. Those poor guys. they won't realize what they had until they lose it.' She remembered the helpless (though enraged) look on Zechs face and sighed.  
  
This was going to be hard to keep up. The girls had invited her to visit them with Marimeia discreetly once every month or so. She would need an excuse to leave head quarters for that with her adopted daughter for a weekend at a time without seeming suspicious. Hmmm.  
  
Just then she faintly heard the sound of the elevator across the hall open. Before she could even prepare herself for Wufei's onslaught, a wild, uncontrolled sobbing was heard echoing through all the halls on the floor. 'Definitely not Wufei.'  
  
Lady Une furrowed her eyebrows as a girl with bleached hair ran past the door blubbering. She recognized her as the 'ditz' she had been talking about with the blonde's boyfriend just moments before. Marisa.Mary.well, whatever-her-name-was's mother was one of her best secretaries, which was the only reason Ditz got into Preventers in the first place.  
  
Lady Une's lip curled in disgust at the spectacle the young woman was making of herself. Then she smirked again, 'So Ditz was stupid enough to get in Zechs' way while he's throwing a tantrum. I really should feel sorry for her.' She could hear her whimpering from all the way down the hall with her door closed. 'So much for that relationship. Zechs will probably never look at her again.'  
  
The crying became louder and Lady Une watched through the glass in the door that had survived Hurricane Zechs, at the girl who hadn't. Her mother, looking patiently annoyed, led her by, taking Ditz very likely to the bathroom to clean up.  
  
"He.just.said to.get away.from him! And .he cursed.at me!" she wailed between sobs.  
  
Lady Une rolled her eyes and opened her previously saved program on her laptop. 'I better start working or I'll never get done today,' she thought just as she heard the elevator opening again. Instead of a weeping sound following the beep there came a quickly advancing stomping. She sighed again, resaving the document, and got ready for the anticipated round two. 'Here we go again, I just hope Wufei left his katana behind.'  
  
A.N. Ok, just needed to finish this interlude. ::grins:: And pick on Marina of course. Do you think it would be too much if I had Zechs realize his love? 'Care' just seems very insignificant. Or should I leave him in his frustrated oblivion?  
  
Icy B. Discordia 


	4. pt.4

A.N.: wow, I actually got good reviews. Weird. And I got a review from Sonflour, one of my favorites. Thank you! Ok, this chapter is rather long, has a slight lime at the end and we are gonna let Noin tell the story now. Let the angst fest begin!  
  
The Death of Lucrezia Noin, the Birth of  
  
Luca Firoin Pt. 4  
  
11:40p.m. February 9, 200  
  
A raven-haired woman stared out the window of an airplane's cockpit. with sad, deep bluish-purple eyes. She absent-mindedly traced a raindrop's pathway down the smooth pane of glass with her forefinger. 'I've seen so many of these trails lately, mostly running down my own cheeks.' Her purple orbs focused for a moment on the building in the distance, of which she could only see an occasional light through the darkness and pouring rain. 'Zechs.'  
  
"Hey, Noin, are you all right?" Asked her friend and companion, Sally Po. Her strawberry-blonde hair in its usual twists, she looked at Noin with concerned gray-blue eyes that held pain of their own as well as some for her. Sally said this knowing the answer already, whether it was denied or not. She sat down in the unoccupied pilot's chair and looked at Noin expectantly, who merely turned back to the window.  
  
"No." Noin replied simply. The plane was scheduled to start take off procedures in five minutes and it was all she could do to keep in more tears. She had thought that she had cried herself into dehydration but the burning sensation behind her eyes proved her wrong.  
  
She didn't want to leave, oh, God only knew how much she didn't want to leave him. She had to. She had no choice, if she wanted her love to be truly happy. He didn't love her back, as he used to, when they were in school together. They would always be best friends, though. At the Lake Victoria Military Academy they had had an immediate attraction. The relationship had started as a beautiful friendship but it eventually led to more. They had fooled around together in school all the time, and when they were working on the terra-forming project on Mars together, they'd just picked up where they left off. No, Zechs had never told Noin that he loved her, not since he graduated from Victoria and went to serve OZ under Trieze. She had stayed behind to train new recruits at the school. Even before that he never said it to her face, only late at night, when he thought she was asleep.  
  
She didn't know what she had done wrong. It hadn't really bothered her on Mars, but when they returned to headquarters and Zechs met Marina, she began to wonder if she had been used. It was true that there weren't many women working on the terra-forming project, but surely that couldn't have been the only reason he shared her bed?  
  
Marina had attached herself to the former prince, who didn't do much to thwart her attentions. He had called her annoying but allowed her to follow him around. It kind of reminded Noin of Heero and Relena's relationship without the mutual admiration and maybe even fascination.  
  
He stopped sleeping with her after Marina announced that they were going steady. Noin had been crushed at that statement but hid it well when Marina gave her a triumphant look with her fake blue eyes. Noin didn't know what her best friend saw in her. She was an envious airhead.  
  
It was none of her business anymore though. She remembered how she couldn't look Zechs in the eye for weeks after that. But she could have and would have stayed no matter what, until the day he told her to go, if only.  
  
If only so many things hadn't happened. If only so many other things had happened. Noin's hand wandered instinctively to her abdomen as lost herself in her reverie. If only.  
  
* * * * *  
  
-flashback-  
  
1.1.1.1 11:53p.m. January 19,200  
  
Noin strolled along the halls of Preventer HQ aimlessly. She couldn't sleep, again. She came to the miniature bar that was supposed to encourage employees to stay there to get drunk so no one had to get out of bed to drive them home. It didn't often work but was good for the occasional glass of wine that was needed sometimes to clear the head. It was a dark, smoky room with cheep music playing in the background and mirrors on the walls to make the place look bigger. At one of the tables, some of the guys were playing drinking poker (I don't know if such a game exists so bear with me) and many were already on the verge of being stoned. She looked around the game with little interest until she noticed that Zechs was playing and, apparently, losing.  
  
Noin stepped into the smelly room with the intention of just watching, and leaned back against the first high-stool at the bar.  
  
"What can I get for ya?" asked Nick, the tired bartender.  
  
"A beer, anything you have." She shot him a grin as he handed her the drink.  
  
"Damn, I fold." Zechs exclaimed, throwing his cards down in front of him.  
  
Curious as to how Zechs was managing to lose all his chips, she quietly moved behind him. She guessed that he wasn't too familiar with the game, which was odd considering the limited activities soldiers could do while off duty at the academy. 'He was probably training even off duty,' she smirked with that thought in mind. At the next deal, she pointed out to him how to use what he had to his advantage. Startled, he whipped around to face her. She gave him an easy grin and shrugged her shoulders. The other players eyed her suspiciously but continued as if nothing had happened. That is, until, using her advice, Zechs won that round. Then everyone was protesting and claiming cheat.  
  
"HOLD IT!" Noin yelled above the din, using her training voice. She had seen situations like this and knew it was best to get the upper hand in these matters. She thought for a moment. " Okay, so here's how we'll do things. If I play this round and beat all of you loud mouth men, Zechs keeps what he won. If you win then you all get your money back with interest. And no calling cheat. Deal?" She thought that up on the spot. 'Holy shit, what did I just get myself into?'  
  
The men looked at each other and smirked. "Sure, Fire, it's a deal." Sneered 'Talon'.  
  
She sat down as gracefully as possible next to Zechs. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "And just where do you plan on getting this 'interest' you so calmly promised?"  
  
"Relax," she murmured back, her eyes never leaving the dealer's hands. "I'm pretty lucky at this and I always have some back up money if nothing else." Relaxing was the last thing on her mind though. He was just too close for comfort considering where they currently stood with each other. She shifted slightly away from his hot breath on her ear that was sending shivers down her spine.  
  
" I can't let you pay for this, it's my debt." He insisted, not seeming to notice her movement. Noin just rolled her eyes.  
  
The cards were dealt. Zechs watched Noin out of the corner of his eye, praying that she knew what she was doing. He found her glaring suspiciously at her opponents over the top of her cards. 'She's been watching too much TV' he mused, permitting himself a chuckle. That only earned him a mischievous, if irritated, glance from her and some squirming from the more nervous players. Finally, Fire and Talon locked eyes and put down their cards in unison. The rest followed.  
  
"Well, Talon, I believe I won. You owe my friend here some cash and drink." Noin nonchalantly commented. At first all Talon could do was stare at her flush, then he broke in to a wide grin. He really wasn't so bad, once you got to know him.  
  
"Alright guys, looks like we have to pay up. And why don't we give the lady a pull from our cans too? She deserves it if she can call up a flush on her first turn." The other men grudgingly agreed. Zechs' admiration for Noin's skill grew and they toasted with the cans before downing half the beer within them.  
  
As the night went on Zechs seemed to win almost every time, with Noin in only half of the intervals, and many times everyone else wanted to quit and go to bed. But just as they were on their 'last' hand, some one else within the circle won and the fire to win this game was re-ignited.  
  
One by one the crowd at the poker table dwindled till it was just the intoxicated Talon, Fire and Wind. Talon then glanced at the clock over the bar, which had long since been abandoned, and decided he had better get to bed before dawn broke.  
  
Raving drunk, Zechs and Noin laughed and cheered on their victory (if you can picture Zechs cheering your imagination is stronger than mine)  
  
Noin, who was the more sober of the two due to her continued losses, shushed him and herself all the way down the hall. But when they reached the dormitory split, Zechs seemed to collapse against the wall, not being able to stand up straight. As strong as his immune system was, even he was no match for four hours straight of drinking beer (although not much the first hour that Noin wasn't there for). He tried without success to right himself on his own.  
  
"What a baby," Noin muttered, draping his arm across her shoulders. "Poor little Zechs can't stand up by himself!" She teased. "You know, you are going to have the worst hangover of your life tomorrow morning." She chuckled, slurring her words as she slowly led him down the left wing of the split.  
  
Zechs groaned at the thought and then laughed quietly, "So are you. And I am not a baby, and I can stand up myself." He stumbled some, drawing some giggles from his partner, and quickly recovered. "I just don't want to." The pointless, light-headed conversation continued until they reached Zechs' room. He, too, didn't share his room and the simple plaque just said 'Wind' on it.  
  
She took Zechs' I.D. card from his back pocket for him and slid it through the slot. She had some trouble getting her hands to cooperate enough to put the card back in his pocket, however. Suddenly, Noin lost her balance and fell heavily against the door, and Zechs, who still had his arm around her shoulders for support, was pulled with her. His body was pressed against hers for a moment that would have been quite uncomfortable if their minds had been functioning properly enough to register their positions.  
  
Noin laughed at her own clumsiness. "Now who's going to help me to my room?" she asked plaintively, humor shining in her half-dazed eyes. Anything else she was going to say was cut off by Zechs' eager kiss. Her proximity was just too much temptation for his drugged mind and body. It didn't feel wrong, they had been in this situation numerous times in the past, except that rarely were they drunk and not behind closed doors. Realizing that they were outside the door still, Noin pressed the button for the door to open. They fell through, barely noticing the rough landing. The door slid shut with a 'whoosh'.  
  
The kiss broke for a moment and Noin used this opportunity to breathlessly protest. "We shouldn't."  
  
Her objection was cut off sharply by Zechs' mouth plundering her own. His hands ran up and down her body as they both haphazardly redecorated his room with articles of clothing hastily ripped off. Zechs was using all he knew about her to drive her senseless. Lucrezia's last coherent thought was finishing her unspoken doubt:  
  
We shouldn't be doing this.you don't love me anymore, remember?  
  
A.N.: Ah! I know nothing of poker! I cant' even play! Sorry if I screwed the game up. Alright, so it wasn't exactly lime. Oh well.  
  
1.1.1.2 


	5. pt.5

A.N.: Heh, heh, gomen minna. I kept getting distracted. This is angsty, so sad, kinda short. Thank you all reviewers!  
  
The Death of Lucrezia Noin, the Birth of  
  
Luca Firoin Pt. 5  
  
Noin awoke with a pounding headache. She moaned softly. Waiting for her body to wake up, she tried to get her bearings. As her senses began feeding her information, she realized that she was much warmer than she should be in January, her mattress had become very bumpy over night and she had no clothes on what so ever. Something smooth, warm and soft was under her cheek.  
  
Her eyes flew open and she immediately regretted the action. Her mind hurt even more with the addition of the light invading it. After a moment she tried again, slowly cracking her lids open. She found herself staring at a strong, graceful neck, and, her astonished gaze traveling upward, a chin to match. She lifted herself as much as she dared, trying not to invoke another round of pain to her head. ' Oh, God what have I done now? I don't remember anything.'  
  
Lucrezia gasped at the gorgeous, sleeping face of her best friend presented before her. She laid her head down again on his broad shoulder. 'I have to get out of here. I can only hope that he doesn't remember anything. This could completely ruin his relationship with.Marina. I can't let him do that, although it might be more of a blessing if I did.'  
  
Noin remained in the protective circle of Zechs' arms and contemplated a way of getting out of the embrace without waking her lover. She was lying diagonal across him on her stomach. Fortunately her lower half was on the other side of him, with her facing in to him. Unfortunately, her lower half also happened to be on the side of the bed next to the wall. To top it all off, Zechs had her in a death grip, his arms unyielding steel bands around her. His left arm was holding her shoulders to him and his right was encircling her lower back tightly, as if he knew in his sleep that she was going to leave him and he wanted her to stay. Noin snorted inwardly at that, 'yeah right, probably thinks you're his girlfriend.' Her heart clenched painfully at this practical possibility. This strengthened her will to get out.  
  
Carefully, slowly and not without difficulty, Lucrezia extracted herself from her precious dream, now tainted. With the least movement possible she got dressed, hoping to keep everything in her stomach from coming up.  
  
Noin knelt by Zechs' side, drinking in the site of his glorious body for what she figured would probably be the last time. She let her fingers lightly trace his perfect features, running them lovingly through his silky bangs. She might never be able to touch him like this again and she wanted to remember every detail. Her fingertips brushed over his soft lips and he sighed contentedly. She quickly drew back, praying he was still asleep.  
  
After a moment he still wasn't stirring. Noin stood up and leaned over the Lightning Count, placing her hand on his cheek. She pressed her lips to his one last time and savored his familiar taste. She pulled away and kissed his forehead once, whispering, " Aishiteru, Zechs."  
  
Noin silently left, glancing back only once, her purple eyes filled with pain and regret, and closed the door behind her. Her blurred vision and the elephants marching around painfully in her head made it hard to reach her quarters unnoticed. 'Come on Fire, just one more door.' but she stumbled and fell against her neighbor's door with a thump. Lucrezia groaned and dragged her aching body along the wall.  
  
Just then the door she had fallen against swished open and Sally Po, upon taking in the scene, rushed to help her friend. She assisted Noin to her room and led her through the main chamber to the bathroom where the preventer promptly lost what was left of the beer to the toilet.  
  
Noin told the former major what had happened when she was questioned. She was miserable and didn't have the energy to resist the concerned inquiries.  
  
"You want him to forget? Why?" Sally looked at the woman currently curled up in the corner next to the toilet.  
  
Lucrezia sighed. "If he forgets then he won't feel guilty about cheating on his 'girlfriend'," she spat the word out, too exhausted to hide her dislike of the blonde, "and he can continue like this, being happy with her. That's all that matters to me Sally, that he is happy. I won't lie to you, I feel like I'm slowly dying inside but it's for him, and that makes it worth it." She kept her eyes closed, leaning her head against the cool tiles of the wall behind her. Her pained expression wasn't just from the intense hangover she was experiencing. She continued, speaking from her broken heart, "Everything I've done for the past seven years has been for him in some way or another so he would one day be happy. I guess I always assumed that I would share his happiness though." Her beautiful, desperate speech was slightly spoiled by her stomach turning upside down again, already empty.  
  
Sally closed her eyes in sympathy for the internal pain her friend was going through. "Well, from what you've told me, it's a very good possibility that Zechs will have a black out. If not, you're out of luck."  
  
-end flashback-  
  
* * * * * 


	6. pt.6

A.N.: Hey, minna. So sorry about the delay on getting this up but I have exams coming up which has been taking up all my time. Um.enjoy?  
  
The Death of Lucrezia Noin, the Birth of  
  
Luca Firoin Pt. 6  
  
11:45p.m. February 9, 200  
  
".Noin? Noin!" Sally repeated.  
  
"Hm? What Sally? I'm sorry, my mind was wandering." Lucrezia apologized, snapping out of the past.  
  
"That's alright," Sally said, giving her friend a sympathetic look. "We need to prep for take off. Command tower just gave us clearance."  
  
"Alright, then." Noin responded, somewhat detached.  
  
Sally Po glanced at the former lieutenant worriedly. She herself was leaving everything she had known for the past few years, but she didn't have something to tie her down either, unlike Noin. Persistently ignoring the little voice in the back of her mind that defied this, she began flipping switches and pulling toggles. The roaring of the engine started and they put on their headphones.  
  
"This is command tower, Preventer Water, you are cleared for take off. Proceed to runway 02. Over." Came a crackling voice on the earpieces.  
  
"Roger that. Preventers Water and Fire: proceeding to depart from runway 02. Over and out." Sally responded, cutting the connection. "Well Noin, we're on our own now. Next stop, Sanc Kingdom."  
  
The plane raced through the rain and took flight. After gaining necessary altitude, the autopilot was turned on.  
  
The former doctor once again glanced at her silent companion. She was still staring out the window, her deep purple eyes watching headquarters grow smaller and smaller in the distance. Sally winced. She remembered seeing her friend's world come crashing down around her in those usually warm eyes only a couple days before.  
  
* * * * *  
  
-flashback-  
  
7:30 a.m. February 7, 200  
  
Sally had been coming back from breakfast in the mess hall bringing a cup of coffee with her for Noin, who hadn't shown up. Sally frowned, recalling that this was the third time in the last week that Noin had accidentally 'slept in'. Approaching her door, Sally swiped her card through it.  
  
Instead of finding the former lieutenant asleep in bed, she found her resting next to the toilet, looking extremely pale. The smell of vomit was strong in the air even though the window in her room had been left open to the cold morning air.  
  
Sally set down the cup of coffee and started shaking her friend. "Noin? Noin! Are you alright?"  
  
"Hm? Ugh." Noin slowly opened her eyes and blinked a couple times to focus them. "Oh. Good morning Sally." She dragged herself in to an upright position and stumbled to the sink, washing her mouth out with the ice-cold tap water.  
  
Sally stared at her. 'She's acting as if this is the most normal thing in the world! What's going on here?' She decided to voice her concerns. "Um.Noin? Are you sick? You could take the day off, I'm sure Commander Une won't mind."  
  
" No, I'm fine. Really Sally. I don't know what's going on but I got sick Tuesday and Wednesday too and I'm still alive. It goes away in the mornings and I'm ok for the rest of the day. Maybe it was some bug or food poisoning or something? Could be still getting out of my system, you know? Weird."  
  
"Possibly, but why don't you let me check you out anyway? Take a shower and meet me in the med. lab in half an hour, ok? Oh, and I brought you some coffee if you want it." Sally grinned as Noin downed the first gulp in less then a second. She then cradled the cup in both hands and closed her eyes as she let the second mouthful swish around her tongue for a moment.  
  
"Mmmm.Sally, you're my savior!" She claimed, opening her eyes. "And sure, I'll be right down, ok? Maybe you can give me something to stop me from losing my dinner at two o'clock every morning." She groaned, shooting a distasteful look at the toilet.  
  
Sally laughed, " Alright, see you then." 'Two o'clock in the morning, huh? Doesn't sound like food poisoning to me.' She cut off that train of thought. 'Ridiculous! How could. wait a minute.' Sally stopped dead in her tracks as the memory of Noin coming home hung over just a few weeks ago came back to her. 'No, I won't even suspect it. Still.I'll give her the tests, just in case.' And she walked down the hall, trying to think of other illnesses that had the symptoms Noin was displaying.  
  
  
  
A.N. : I know, short. Oh well. Cya next week! 


	7. pt.7

A.N: Alright minna, first of all I'd like to thank all those who reviewed. You really never know how awesome reviews are until you're an author yourself. Second, ::winces:: This chapter is why I despise this story so much. 'Girl's night out' is cool but so over done and unrealistic. Oh well.  
  
The Death of Lucrezia Noin, the Birth of  
  
Luca Firoin Pt. 7  
  
Sally looked at the test results in shock. She had given them to Noin without her knowledge, planning on not telling her about them at all. She glanced out of the glass panel inset in the wooden doorway that separated the gurneys from the lab. Noin was lying down on one of them, her arms behind her head, and one leg swinging from its position of crossing the other. Her eyes were closed and she was lip-singing the song playing on the radio.  
  
Sally took a deep breath and joined her 'patient' outside. Noin grinned when she saw her friend come out and sat up. When she saw the look on the doctor's face her own immediately became serious again. "Sally? What's wrong? What did the results say?"  
  
Sally was looking intently at her, with a mixture of expressions that didn't make sense to her. She looked curious, confused, worried, stunned and more than a little apprehensive.  
  
A little half-smile was attempted on Sally's part but she really wasn't sure whether to be concerned or happy for Noin. She had no idea how to tell her this news, certainly. Finally she went into 'doctor mode' and told her outright what the results said.  
  
"Noin, please forgive me for taking these tests without your knowledge but I had my suspicions on what it was." The raven-haired woman nodded for her to continue. "Lucrezia Noin, you're pregnant." Sally let out in a rush. She looked expectantly into those dark eyes for a negative or positive reaction. It seemed to be leaning toward the former.  
  
Noin's eyes widened and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?! I can't be! I mean, how could I? Is this some kind of joke?" Her gaze flickered from one sorrow-filled blue eye to another, seeing her answer. She let her head fall into her hands in despair. "Oh no. this can't be happening." Noin whispered. She thought back to what she had said to Sally before. 'That's all that matters to me Sally, that he is happy.' 'How can he be happy now? Oh God, how will Zechs react when he finds out his best friend is having his baby from a night he doesn't even remember? Will he even believe me when I tell him it's his? There go the efforts to ensure he doesn't remember and screw up with Marina.' She gave a dry chuckle at that. 'Marina. she'll never forgive him for cheating on her. No, I can't let this happen. Not when he's finally gotten past the grief of the wars. What if he feels obligated to stay with me because of this baby?' She felt her heart swell at the thought of him spending the rest of his life with her. It immediately dropped twice as fast and twice as low. 'No, I wouldn't want that. I couldn't live like that knowing that he doesn't want to be with me, that he had no choice. Besides, he would hate me forever after for ruining his life. I'd die if he hated me. He can't' find out.'  
  
Sally watched, evidently forgotten, as Noin was absorbed in her thoughts. Sympathy for the abused soul in front of her washed over her. 'Zechs, you've really done it this time.' Her attention snapped back to Noin as she heard her give a quiet, humorless laugh at something only she could hear in her mind. Her inner struggle right now was what was going to determine the future of both, no, all three of them.  
  
Noin pondered the possibilities. A conversation with Relena found it's way into her searching mind.  
  
"Miss Noin? I have an idea," came her voice at the other end of the receiver.  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
"Well, I've decided that, with the recent announcement of my position as Vice  
  
Foreign Minister being interminably postponed or retracted, I should do  
  
something else with my life."  
  
"Alright, that's a good idea until the council decides you're of age to take on the  
  
responsibilities again. Although why age would make a difference, I don't know."  
  
"Yes, well, obviously it does now. Anyway, I was thinking that, well.I want to get away from the political scene for a while. To live a new life. And I want to do it with all my friends. Some of the others are having.problems in their lives and want to come with me. Hilde is already on her way. It's just a break. Please, won't you come Miss Noin?" She talked fast and hopefully.  
  
"Oh, Miss Relena. you know I can't. I have my job and."  
  
"My brother. Please, think about it anyway, Noin. I will be contacting Miss  
  
Sally, too. I wasn't planning on leaving until late February, when my contract  
  
is up, so give me a call if you change your mind. I have to go. Give Milliardo  
  
my love. Bye Miss Noin."  
  
"Miss Relena! Wait!" It was too late; the girl had already hung up.  
  
At the time, Lucrezia had thought that the former Queen of the World had lost it. Very likely she had gotten frustrated with Heero's games that he was constantly, if unintentionally, playing with her heart. Still, it was an irrational decision even if her political peers had deemed that she should be of the legal age before she took office again and she was soon to be unemployed.  
  
It had started as a stress relief, a girls' night out. The seven of them, all associated in some way or another, had gotten together at Relena's request. Their odd group consisted of herself, Sally Po, Relena Peacecraft, Hilde Schbieker, Dorothy Catolonia, Catherine Bloom, (perhaps the only one of the group with a semi-stable background); Midii Une.  
  
A very strange combination indeed, but with several things in common. They had all been entangled in the war in one way or another and they all were related to or involved with a gundam pilot. They certainly had the most interesting conversations that night. It had been so much fun that they did it when ever they could. They didn't live near each other, Hilde and Dorothy being on the colonies and Relena, Catherine and Midii where ever their jobs took them, but money was no problem and it was some how arranged for them to meet at least once every couple months. They had developed fake I.D.s so the media wouldn't get a hold of the information that many famous people were congregating and doing 'normal', 'every-day' activities.  
  
Now Relena wanted to make it semi-permanent, casting aside her name, title, reputation and identity to become something completely new and different. It was childish, perhaps, and yet. it was the perfect way to escape. Noin knew that she would have to be willing to let go of the past entirely and possibly lower her standards of living. But, yes, this was the only solution. No one would put two and two together. No one would suspect a small, middle-of-nowhere town and it would be the last place Heero would look for Relena. And Zechs would never look there either, should he start searching for his sister. That way he'd also never find out about their, no, her baby, either. She made her decision.  
  
Sally started when Lucrezia looked up. She had been dozing, contemplating her own problems with her love life, or rather, lack of. She was surprised by the look of determination in her friend's eyes.  
  
"Sally, get me a line through to Vice Foreign Minister Dorlain. Not urgent if she's busy." Noin stated with conviction. Sally's blue orbs widened with realization of why this request was made.  
  
"You can't be serious Noin."  
  
"It's the only way, Sally. I don't want him to know. Please understand." She pleaded.  
  
Sally was quiet for a moment. "Alright, but remember to schedule a meeting with Lady Une before you leave, okay?" She got up to make the connection.  
  
-end flashback-  
  
* * * * *  
  
Noin sat back as the lights of headquarters disappeared in the clouds. She glanced at her co-pilot, grateful although not exactly sure why Sally had decided to come with her on this wild adventure. With their experience they could easily get high tech jobs though, and it would be nice to have a routine job. Yes, they would be fine.  
  
'Good grief,' she thought. 'This isn't at all like me.' Lucrezia Noin was used to living for Zechs Marquise. Now she was planning her life with out him, which she hadn't done for eight years. She had worked so hard to be with him, lived the last few years as she assumed he wanted her to. Her entire being was 100% dedicated to him. But now she had her baby and future to think about. One that didn't include the young prince. Yes, Lucrezia Noin lived for Zechs Marquise or the Lightning Count or Milliardo Peacecraft or Preventer Wind or whatever he was called that day. But she couldn't anymore. So Lucrezia Noin would be no more. Deep in her heart the memory of Lucrezia Noin would reside. But Lucrezia Noin was dead. She died the moment she stepped aboard the plane now carrying her farther and farther away from where her heart would always remain. Her new name (originally her fake I.D.) was the start of a new life for a new person.  
  
1.1.1.1 And thus was the tragic death of Lucrezia Noin, her love unrequitted and, from her tears, the birth of Luca Firoin, who was never to love at all.  
  
  
  
.The End? ^_^;; 


End file.
